Alleged Zakim beacon thief held without bail

The homeless man who stands accused of stealing the red beacon off the top of the Zakim Bridge last month is being held without bail.

Clifford W. Beckford, 34, was in Boston Municipal Court Monday, where he faced charges that included breaking and entering. The judge ordered him to be held for further mental evaluation at the Solomon Carter Fuller Center in Boston.

Authorities allege he pilfered the three-foot, 60-pound red aircraft beacon from the iconic bridge. Prosecutors say Beckford busted down a locked door and then climbed one of the bridge’s 275 foot towers before dropping it off outside a Charlestown pub. State Police found the beacon in the cellar of the pub.

Authorities allege Beckford also pulled a similar stunt — stealing a beacon off the bridge — in the early 2000s. That beacon was dropped off outside the Old State House.

He is due back in court on May 14.